Monday Mornings with Madison

February 6, 2012

“No” Problem

Issue #218

Most overworked, overloaded and highly stressed people all share one fundamental characteristic (let’s just call it what it is… a flaw). They don’t know how to say “No.” They might be able to muster the chutzpah to say an unassertive “no” once in a while, but they either don’t stand their ground afterward, or they just don’t say “no” often enough. While a “Can Do” attitude or a “Never say No” disposition is generally considered by managers to be a desirable quality in staff, the truth is that those “always say yes” people often take on more than they can chew and that can be a problem both for the employee and the manager. Continue reading →

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January 30, 2012

The Power of Procrastination

Issue #217

Procrastination has been defined as the act of replacing high-priority or important actions with tasks of lower priority, and putting off important tasks to a later time. Some industrial psychologists consider it procrastination if the action is counterproductive, needless, and delaying. Others consider it procrastination if a course of action is voluntarily delayed despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.

Regardless of the definition, procrastination and procrastinators are generally viewed in a purely negative light. However, the truth is that every person procrastinates sometimes. But, according to Psychology Today, only about 20 percent of people are true procrastinators… those who consistently avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions. How do you know if you or one of your employees is part of the 20% that are true procrastinators? And, if so, is procrastination always a bad thing?

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January 23, 2012

Be Unreasonable!!

Issue #216

In business negotiations and political discussions, people are often urged to ‘be reasonable’ if they stake out a position that seems untenable or challenging. Being reasonable is billed in polite society as a virtue. Indeed, most people would consider it an insult, or at least an affront, to be accused of being ‘unreasonable.’ Reasonableness is seen as the quintessential characteristic of a civilized and educated person. We always want to be reasonable and seem reasonable to others.

The only problem is that being ‘reasonable’ will only get you so far in life. If you want to go further and take your business or career — or some other equally important aspect of your life — to a whole new level (not just the next incremental level), you need to go far beyond being reasonable. To achieve a great breakthrough or make a quantum leap forward, you need delve into the realm of the unreasonable. Continue reading →

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January 16, 2012

Competition: The Best Medicine

Issue #215

Ask most any business owner or manager about their competition and they are likely to spout off a litany of criticism and complaints about ‘those other companies’ and probably rant about one rival in particular. Entrepreneurs who take the high road and conduct themselves with dignity may not tell customers what they really think of their competition, but you can bet that privately they can list every shortcoming of their fiercest competitor. In fact, in certain industries – where the fight for market share or even survival is most fierce — C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N is the longest four-letter word in the English language. Just ask anyone who works at Apple about IBM. Lays Potato Chips vs. Doritos. Harvard vs. Yale. Coke vs. Pepsi. They don’t call it “the cola wars” for nothing.

Most organizations think of competition as the unavoidable and most unfortunate evil of doing business. There probably isn’t a business leader alive who hasn’t thought, at least once, ‘If only my product or service was the only game in town.’ The thought is that doing business would be paradise were it not for competition… or a particular competitor. After all, while competition may be great for customers – offering choice and driving down price — it is really nothing but a pain for business owners. Right? Wrong. Continue reading →

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January 9, 2012

Something Old; Something New; Something Borrowed… and Now Something True Blue

Issue #214

Part 3 – Ten Tried and Tested Business Fundamentals for Success

For the last two weeks, we took an old English rhyme “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, And A Sixpence in your Shoe.” and applied it business. We started by examining the old – but valuable – marketing strategy of PR to promote brand continuity and investigated a new, related marketing trend called Brand Journalism that is helping customers connect to businesses in a new way. Then we borrowed the strategy of Corporate Giving as a way to help businesses connect with and engage consumers.

However, sometimes the smartest thing a business can do is go back to the basics. Despite the many changes in technology, communications, and marketing over the last 25 years, the fundamentals of running a sound business remain unchanged. This week, we’ll look at some ‘true blue’ business practices essential to any organization. These ten strategies are a must for long-term business success. Continue reading →

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January 2, 2012

After Something Old and Something New…. Something Borrowed

Issue #213

Part 2 – Borrowing the Successful Business Strategy of Corporate Giving

The old English rhyme “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, And A Sixpence in your Shoe.” was told to brides on their wedding day. With a look toward 2012, we tried to apply this wedding lore to a bright business future. We started last week by examining an old – but valuable – marketing strategy to promote brand continuity and investigated a new, related marketing trend that is helping customers connect to the business brand in a new way.

This week, we’ll look at ‘something borrowed’, symbolic of happiness borrowed from a new family. We’ll borrow a wise business strategy – that of corporate giving – as a way to connect with the community, engage consumers and stand apart from the competition. It is a strategy that has proven profitable for many companies, large and small… and even for one savvy start-up. Continue reading →

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December 19, 2011

Words of Wisdom from Steve Jobs – Part 3

Issue #211

Living Your Own Life To Avoid Regrets

This week we conclude our three-part series reflecting on the Commencement Speech Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, delivered to Stanford University students on June 12, 2005. His speech — told in three stories – offered the graduating seniors advice on how to live their lives after college, told by a man who himself had dropped out of college and yet achieved the highest level of business success. Continue reading →

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December 12, 2011

Words of Wisdom from Steve Jobs – Part 2

Issue #210

The Power of Doing What You Love

Last week, we began a three-part series reflecting on the Commencement Speech Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, delivered to Stanford University students on June 12, 2005. His speech basically told three stories. Each was a message unto itself. The first part was about trying new things without worrying about connecting the dots.

This week, we’ll read the second part of his Commencement Speech – just as he spoke it – plus a little commentary at the end. In his second story, he talked about finding and doing what you love. This advice is not revolutionary, but neither is it necessarily common or easy to achieve. Mr. Jobs found his passion, lost it, and then found it again. He and the world were the better for it. Continue reading →

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December 5, 2011

Words of Wisdom from Steve Jobs – Part 1

Issue #209

Don’t Worry About Connecting the Dots

Many things serve as inspiration for the Monday Mornings with Madison column. Over a year ago, a colleague sent me the Commencement Address by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, delivered to Stanford University students on June 12, 2005. It was no surprise that Mr. Jobs was a gifted communicator. With very little preamble, he basically told three stories. Each was a message unto itself, and each was inspirational.

As 2011 draws to a close and we begin to think about 2012, Mr. Jobs’ words of wisdom to those graduating students some six to seven years ago about past, present and future are particularly poignant, especially as we contemplate a year gone by that also brought Mr. Jobs’ untimely demise. This week, and for the next two weeks, we’ll share most of that Commencement Speech — in three parts — and then perhaps dare to add a little insight of our own. His first story was about connecting the dots. Continue reading →

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